The Four Horsemen, from "The Apocalypse"

The Four Horsemen, from "The Apocalypse," created by German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer in 1511, is one of the most famous and influential prints in Western art history. This powerful woodcut exemplifies the dramatic potential of the relief print medium during the Northern Renaissance. Dating to the second edition of Dürer’s Apocalypse series, the work demonstrates the artist's sustained commitment to theological subject matter and his technical genius in graphic arts.

Dürer masterfully uses the challenging woodcut technique to achieve an intense level of detail and dynamic movement. The composition captures a terrifying moment from the Book of Revelation, where the four riders representing Death, Famine, War, and Pestilence sweep across the earth. The viewer witnesses a chaotic surge of muscular Horses and the desperate plight of Men caught beneath their hooves. The figure of War, often identified carrying a great Sword, leads the charge of divine judgment, emphasizing the terrifying, overwhelming power of the Apocalypse.

The clarity and stark contrast inherent in the woodcut process allowed this highly detailed image to be disseminated widely across Europe, solidifying Dürer's reputation internationally. This particular impression of The Four Horsemen is held within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As the work is part of the extensive collection of prints by the German master, it remains a globally recognized image, often available today through public domain archives.